First, A Little Background on TED The TED conference (which stands for technology, entertainment, design) began life in 1984 as a yearly and very expensive conference where industry leaders and creative types gathered to exchange “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Back then, it was all about the live experience, and speakers were expected to bring some quirky spontaneity to the Read More
Best of Speak Up for Success
Public Speaking Tip 18: Your Accent Doesn’t Matter — Speaking Clearly Does
If You Speak English with an Accent, Here’s a Reality Check Periodically, someone will call to ask me if I do “accent reduction coaching” — in other words, can I make their accents go away? As it happens, I don’t do that kind of coaching; but more importantly, I’ll usually ask why they’re interested. And Read More
What Are the Top 10 Blog Posts at Speak Up for Success? It Depends Who You Ask!
Your Top 10 Blog Posts… and Mine! Thanks to Google Analytics (oh, brave new world!), I don’t just know that 34,000 people currently visit this site each month; I know what you’re looking at! And for a long time, I’ve thought about posting a round-up of the ten most-read blog posts on Speak Up for Success. (Hint: The BIG winner is Read More
Presenting a Talk? Remember, There’s NO SUCH THING as a Big Audience!
It recently occurred to me that, from a certain perspective — that of your audience — there’s no such thing as a big crowd. From your point of view as a presenter, it looks like you’re talking to a lot of people. Most of us, when we speak to a group, are acutely aware of Read More
Public Speaking Tip 73: Build Your Confidence and Public Speaking Success in 15 Seconds, Twice a Day
What if you knew that you could build your public speaking confidence and skills by doing an exercise that takes just 15 seconds, twice a day? You would do that, right? Well, first, here’s the exercise — and then I’ll explain how and why it works. Try This Confidence-Building Exercise. It Only Takes 15 Seconds! Stand in Read More